So Mote It Be
by innocent as far as you know
Summary: Selena it the spirit woman for her tribe, also the holy white wolf, which as the prophesy states, will mate with the Alpha. She doesn't like the attention she's getting from the alpha, and, after a spirit circle ends up in La Push. She meets the strange pack and is unfamiliar with their ways. Imprint. PaulxOC
1. Chapter 1

"_Air, I welcome you to this circle. Air is the thing we breathe. Wind is what helps us blow away the evidence of the past. We cannot escape air and live. Welcome air._

_Water, I welcome you to this circle. Water is the thing we drink. It makes up fifty to seventy-five percent of our bodies, and covers more than seventy percent of the world. We would die without water. Welcome water._

_Earth, I welcome you to this circle. Earth is the thing we stand on. Earth helps us, and plants, to grow. Earth has given us a home. Welcome earth._

_Fire, I welcome you to this circle. Fire is misunderstood as only a destructive thing, when, in fact, sometimes you need to burn away the old to bring out the new. Fire can be both destructive and nurturing. Welcome fire._

_Spirit, I welcome you to this circle. Spirit is our life force. Our, for lack of a better word, soul. It is the blood that flows through our veins and the air in out lungs. It is the force of our thought and the strength of our willpower, and it is different for each of us. It makes us individuals. We would be identical, hollow shells without it. Welcome spirit._

_I would like to start this circle off with a minuet of silence for Ginger. May she rest in peace."_

_"..."_

"T_his will be a short circle, to finish it off I would like to bless Farseas baby."_

Everyone waited in silence. This was the first time I has blessed someone. Each spirit-person, or Henta, has a different way of doing it, different herbs, different hand motions, etc. No one knew that I planed on using no herbs, no rituals, no fancy motions, and no forethought. I planned to use the luck of the wolf. I began.

_I placed my palm onto the baby's forehead._

_"Oh Great Mother, I wish that this child would have luck in her life. May young Hannah have love and happiness, trust and friends, long life and companionship throughout her days. I give a sacrifice of a small amount of my blood in wolf form to give payment for this gift and to allow her to learn from what she sees, not what she already knows."_

This was a powerful blessing to give, an even deadlier one if messed up. I changed into my wolf form and howled at the moon. I could see the mother of the child crying with happiness at the great and unusual blessing. I used my tooth to cut my wrist and let the blood flow onto my paw. I switched back and used my other, clean hand to wipe the blood onto the child's eyelids.

"S_o mote it be."_

I barked out the ancient words to end the ritual, swaying in my wolf form with an unexpected weariness. And then everything went black.

-.:o0O0o:.-

Reviews and suggestions are much appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up blearily, still in my wolf form, but somewhere strange. The last thing I remembered was blessing the Farseas child, young Hannah, and then closing the circle, while dreading going back to my tent where the alpha was sure to be waiting for me.

The old stories of my people detailed that every couple of generations there would be a white spirit wolf born, and she was meant to guide her pack out of times of trouble. The ancient manuscripts said that she, for it would always be a woman, would mate with the alpha of her heart. This had been taken to mean that she would mate with the alpha of the pack and the pack would be her heart, so I had been forced to share a tent with the man, the alpha, and, though I had managed to put off mating, I doubted it would last for long...

But what had happened after the ritual? Where was I and why was I here?

Could it be that I had done something wrong? Had I done the ritual improperly? Had I displeased the Great Mother Moon with my blessing? Is it so bad that I wanted a little more wisdom and acceptance in the world instead of bigotry and preconceived notions? Was she displeased that I had been distracted while saying the closing words? Was the circle tainted with the dread that I was feeling while I had growled out 'so mote it be?'

Was I... Dead?

I got up, groaning. No, I definitely wasn't dead. Death wouldn't hurt this bad... It felt like all my muscles had turned into soup and then solidified, but not in the place they were meant to be.

I looked around, figuring it would be best to figure out were I was. Up above me was the full face of the Great Mother, which explained why I was in my wolf form, though I didn't remember it being a full moon the night I had done the blessing and the spirit circle. I howled up at her, asking for guidance and a reason for why I was here, whether here on earth or in this forest, I wasn't feeling picky.

Instead of an answer from the being I was asking, I received other wolf calls, unfamiliar ones. That, along with the unusual smelling trees, ones that I had never seen or smelt before, told me that I was no where near where I had been.

I had to think quickly, because the wolves howling seemed to be getting closer and I had to decide whether I wanted a confrontation or not...

Too late, I found myself surrounded by wolves, gigantic wolves, larger than any I had ever seen. The size of horses, but much more deadly. They circled around me, leaving a space in front of me, presumably for their alpha.

It seemed I was right, as the largest wolf so far slowly walked out of the underbrush, black as pitch and letting out enough alpha pheromones to make me sneeze.

I cocked my head to the side, baring my neck and indicating that I meant no harm in the most formal way I knew. He seemed a little confused, but accepted the gesture all the same.

"I come with peaceful intentions," I yipped at him, but he didn't seem to register that I had spoken. He made a definitely human gesture, a sharp movement of his head gesturing over his shoulder, and turned, indicating I should follow. I cocked my head to the side in confusion at the lack of a reply of any sort, but moved obediently when one of the wolves nudged me.

On the way to wherever we were going, I worried about why he had not responded to my yip. Did this pack see females of a lower standing, not even worthy of a reply? If this was true, I would do my best to not stay long.

When we stepped out of the forest and into a clearing at the back of a small building, I paused, smelling human. The wolves at my side nudged me forward, and I obeyed reluctantly. Why were we here? Was this what the pack did to trespassers? Led them to the den of human hunters and watch them be slain? I had heard stories about what hunters would do to wolves, whether they were moon-walkers or not. My hackles rose and I compressed my body into a defensive position. The dark alpha ran up to the door at the back of the building, scratching at it and making small yipping sounds, all along the lines of 'let me in.'

A woman appeared at the door, wearing a great deal of fabric and smelling of baked meats. I swallowed thickly, remembering stories about how some hunters would eat the bodies of the wolves they had killed.

"Yes, yes, what is it, Sam," She said, addressing the alpha. I decided that this must be the alpha female, since no other could possibly talk to the alpha in such familiar tones and live to tell the tale. It was odd, though, I thought, that the pack alpha would take a human mate, our lifespans being what they are... Maybe this human was special?

He yipped again, then gestured to me, looking back at his mate.

"Oh," She said, "You found a lone wolf? Do they need clothing?" Sam nodded, then ran back to me, nudging me forward and towards the door to the strange structure. Clothing? Not only was this pack not planning on killing me, but they were going to give me clothing? What would be next?! Would they give me food and a bed for the night, too? I thought, confused to the extreme.

"Come on," said the woman invitingly, "Come on into the house. I'm Emily, I won't bite." House? What could she possibly mean by house? And why wouldn't she bite? Alpha females bite lower ranking females to assert dominance, that is how it always has been, according to how I'd been taught, and that was how it always would be. Maybe the 'not biting' is a human thing?

I hesitantly stepped into the house and couldn't help but wince as the door shut behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

The building, this 'house' smelled unusual. Emily smelled unusual too. All clean and sharp, like bad potions or chemicals... But it also smelled good. Like home, and food, and comfort, and wolf. Like a wolf den.

Emily lead me down the room, pointing out spaces as she went. "Heres the living room... This is the TV room... This is the kitchen..." Room? What was a room? I had only lived in tents and sometimes huts. Was a room simply an enclosed space in which to live? And Kitchen. Whatever a Kitchen was, it smelled delicious, like roasting meat, but there was no fire.

What kind of pack was this? They had a 'house' full of 'rooms' and a 'kitchen' with roasting meat but no fire. I filed all of my questions away, hoping to ask them after moon set, and obediently followed the alpha female.

She led me into yet another 'room', this time it was a 'bedroom'. The space was taken up mostly by what I assume was the 'bed', which looked like a wood frame supporting a soft boxey thing... Emily moved to one side, opening some doors on the wall and revealing a small space. Was this small space a 'room' too?

She pulled out two things made out of fabric, saying that they ought to fit me. Fit me? Was I intended to wear those? But there was so much fabric! And I wouldn't be changing back for another hour, not until the moon set.

My ears swiveled as I heard the sounds of men entering the house. Men?! I attempted to hide and, finding no suitable space, cowered behind the alpha female, hoping against hope that she would protect me. I had heard stories of what men would do when they found a wolf. Stories of men walking away with fur on their shoulders, leaving the wolfs body on the ground to rot or be eaten.

I whimpered as I heard footsteps approaching the closed door, cowering and trying to make myself as small and non-threatening as possible. There was a knock at the door, then a mans voice asking if we were almost done. Emily answered.

"Well," she started, "I got her some clothes..." So the fabric_ was_ meant to be worn! Emily looked down at me. "But she hasn't changed back..."

_'Of course I haven't changed back, you silly human!'_ I chastised in my head, _'The moon hasn't gone down yet, I can't! Now please, create a distraction so I can escape!'_

"Sam," Began Emily, talking to the man behind the door, "She was fine until you lot came into the house, I think all that noise may have frightened her."

"Alright," I heard, "I'll go tell them off for it and try to keep the noise levels down." I could hear the thump of boots as he made his way towards the other men, and I could hear his quiet murmuring.

Emily knelt down to face me and, for the first time, I could clearly see her face. It was scarred, badly, and she was lucky it had missed her eye. It looked to be in the form of claw marks- perhaps a remnant of a battle for alpha female? No, humans didn't fight for the alpha position like wolves do, they mate for love, the lucky things.

I shuddered, remembering the hands of the old alpha on my body. I couldn't decide where I would rather be. Here, with the strange men and loud noises and kind Emily with her battle weary face, or back home, with the people I had grown up with, where I knew exactly what was expected of me, no matter how much I hated it, and my old alpha, with no love in his heart and only greed for power in his bones.

Emily looked into my eyes and asked me, "Can you understand me?"

Wary, I nodded my head.

"Okay," She said, "Are you afraid of the boys?"

I cocked my head in confusion and she clarified.

"The boys out there in the kitchen and TV room, making all that noise, are you afraid of them?" She asked.

I nodded again.

"Are you afraid because they are loud?"

I shook my head.

"Are you afraid because they are male?"

I shook my head again.

"Are you afraid because they are human?"

I hesitated, then nodded my head. She sighed.

"Were you afraid of the wolf pack that lead you here?"

I shook my head.

"Thats exactly what I was afraid of," she said, looking down. "Okay, I have a feeling we need to have a little debriefing. Those boys out there are the same boys that lead you here." I cocked my head in confusion. "They are shape shifters, not werewolves, which is what I suspect you are. They do not hear the call of the moon." My eyes widened in realization.

Emily must have seen, because she stood up, grabbed the clothing she had picked up earlier, and made her way through the door.

"Well," She said, turning back to me, "Are you coming? I'm sure the boys will want to meet you when they can talk all they like."

I sighed and followed.

It was time to meet the boys.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily led me back through the house, to the kitchen and TV room. It really looked like one room to me, with a kitchen on one side that smelled deliciously of food and, on the other side of the room, some kind of moving picture box along one wall, a clear space, and then some type of furniture thing where several men were seated.

As soon as I entered the room, I froze. They were all very large, well built and tall, with dark skin and hair. The room smelled like man, but it also smelled like wolf. I leaned into Emily's side and sniffed quietly.

Completely human.

I padded to her other side, closer to the man she kept calling Sam. He smelled like wolf and man. The scent of wolf was too strong for him to be a hunter that had taken on the smell of his wolf skins, and I remembered what Emily told me.

Maybe it was best that I gave them the benefit of the doubt, at least until the moon set and I could give voice to all of the questions swirling around in my brain.

I made my way over to the furniture that held all of the men and I sat down to the one sitting on the floor.

"Hi," he said, startling me as he turned in my direction. "I'm Seth." I inclined my head, indicating that I had heard and understood, and we settled together comfortably to watch the moving picture box.

Perhaps this was the TV? Emily had introduced this section of the room as the TV room, and it was the object that seemed to be getting the most attention... There were little men on the screen, two distinct groups, judging by their colors, and I watched them as they carried and kicked a little ball across a large grassy plane with white lines drawn onto it.

Maybe this was a form of pack war? With less blood shed? I decided I liked this way of treating pack disputes more than the way I grew up with.

We continued on like this for a little while before there was a call from the kitchen.

"Boys, dinner." Called Emily. That seemed to be the signal for every single being in the room to rush over to the table. I trotted up behind them and Emily bent down to my level to whisper in my ear as the boys attention was diverted with dinner.

"Moonset is in a few minuets, do you want to go to the bedroom so you can change?" Asked Emily. I nodded my ascent and, after taking the clothing that had been set down on a spare chair, trotted to the bedroom, pushing the door closed behind me.

As I waited for the change to over take me, I heard noises from the kitchen. A door banged open and several voices called out in greeting.

"Paul!" they exclaimed.

"A little late, aren't you?" asked one voice. The only response was a rather guttural growl, unusually so for a human. Was this one more in touch with his wolf side?

Just as I was beginning to ponder this more, the moon outside the window set itself to rest below the horizon and I felt myself shift into my human form.

My hair grew longer on my head and shorter on my body as my torso lengthened and set itself upright and my paws grew into hands and feet complete with fingers and toes.

I picked up the clothing that I had set on the bed, examining it thoroughly.

"Emily," I called out. The noises from the kitchen ceased and I heard a quiet whisper.

"Who is that?" It must have been Paul, the only one that hadn't seen me so far. I heard Emily get up out of her chair and make her way to the bedroom.

"Emily," I started, holding up what looked to be a mans winter clothing in my tribe. Maybe it was different here... "Emily, why is there so much fabric?" She blushed and looked away, confusing me in the process. Did my nudity disturb her? I couldn't think of any other reason that an alpha female would refuse to meet my gaze.

She started looking through the room, taking out clothing, looking at it, and then putting it away again. This went on for a good five minuets before she came across two articles of clothing.

"Here," she said. "I've got a skirt and a tank top for you, along with some panties." Panties were apparently something work under skirts. Unusual, but I supposed I could participate in the customs of her pack, just this once.

After I changed, Emily gave me a once over and nodded.

It was time to meet the pack. Again. This time as a human.

-.:o0O0o:.-

Reviews and suggestions are much appreciated, I don't write ahead, so its likely that reviews can influence story lines.


	5. Chapter 5

The skirt was filmy and light against my legs as I walked down the hall, so different from the leather and beaded clothing I was used to wearing. There was a door open in the hallway, and through it I glimpsed a girl, looking straight at me.

Her skin was very pale, with long, silvery white hair. Portions of the hair had been taken from the top and tied back, out of her face. There was a small black star under one of her purple eyes, a tiny mark on the otherwise unblemished skin. The purple hue of her eyes, the silver of her hair, and the paleness of her skin made her look ethereal.

She was beautiful.

"Who is that?" I asked Emily. She glanced up, looking where I was, and she smiled, showing off a dimple on the unscathed side of her face.

"That's you," she said, smiling while looking at me.

"But, how?" I asked. I was here, how could I see myself? She lead me further into the room.

"This is the bathroom," she said. "I guess you'll have to learn what one is eventually, and you might as well learn now." She led me around the small room, pointing out things, telling me their names, and showing me what they did, until she finally came to the surface I could see myself in.

"This is a mirror," she explained, reaching a hand up to lightly brush against it. I did the same, letting my palm rest against the smooth surface. It was cool to the touch.

"How does it work," I asked, looking for a plug or a switch or knob, since so many other things in this room required one.

"It's a piece of glass with one side painted black, I think," said Emily. "It shows you your reflection, like you might see in a body of water." Was this mirror so similar to the great lakes where my tribe had once made camp? How could it be?

"That's enough of that for now," said Emily, steering me away from the glass and back into the hallway. "I'm sure the boys will be excited to meet you." As we made our way down the hallway, I could hear noises from the kitchen. Talking and grumbling and chewing and side conversations. Suddenly I was a bit nervous. They seemed so loud and outgoing, what if they didn't like me?

Emily opened the door and coughed. It really showed how much the boys respected her, since, in under a minuet, there was silence.

"Guys," she started. "This is the wolf you all found in the woods earlier, she has changed back. Now, I expect you all to take care of her and behave." She moved around the table, leaving me awkwardly standing in the doorway with the entire pack watching me. I looked down, blushing, and muttered a meek 'hi' into my shirt.

"Hey," came a voice, very loudly in the uncomfortable silence. "Why don't you come sit by me?" I looked up. It was that boy, Seth, who had introduced himself to me while we were watching TV. I walked over to him and sat down, glad as the conversation resumed around us.

"Thank you," I whispered to him. He gave me an easy smile that seemed to light up the room.

"No problem," he said. "You looked like you needed the help." I smiled back and we started up a conversation about the thing on the TV, apparently a sport called 'football.'

"Hey, will you pass the beans?" came a voice from my right. I reached over to take the dish that Seth was already handing me, scooping a small portion onto my plate. The boy beside me made a noise of discontent at the delay, and as I turned and handed it to him, I looked him in the eye with a forceful 'here' before turning back to Seth.

"Yeah, so it's not packs against each other," said Seth, continuing on from before the rude boy asked for beans. "At least- not really. We call them..." He trailed off, looking at something behind me.

It was then that I realized that the table had gone silent for the second time that night. I turned around, looking for the reason for the quiet, but when I turned around, I found the rude boy, who was looking at me like I was the Great Mother Moon.

"What?" I asked, confused and slightly disturbed. This seemed to break the stupor that had fallen over the group.

"Paul?" Rasped the alpha, Sam, addressing the rude boy. "Did you just imprint?"

-.:o0O0o:.-

Any suggestions for what happens next?


	6. Chapter 6

The silence persisted and the boy, Paul, just blinked in response to Sams question.

"Imprint?" I asked, looking around. What was an imprint? Sam and Emily looked at each other significantly.

"Well," started Emily, standing up. "I think that's enough dinner for now..." She started collecting the plates. Sam looked up at her for help, and she just jerked her head towards the couch. "Sam, why don't you tell her about imprinting?" Sam sighed.

"Okay, come on over to the couch... er... What was your name again?" Sam said, also standing up.

"Selena." I stated evenly. The pack made its way to the tv room, sitting in a circle that included the couch. I sat in the middle, Sam sat to one side, and Paul rushed over to sit at my other side, startling me with his eagerness.

"Well, do you want the short answer or the long answer," asked Sam. Short answer? Long answer? Were there two different answers?

"Short answer," I decided hesitantly. Sam nodded.

"Okay," he started, taking a deep breath. "There is a legend about the first of our wolf pack. He had an elongated life span. He took a first wife, whom he loved. She died of old age. He took a second wife, a second love and she died too. Then he met another woman. He looked into her eyes and the whole world shifted so, instead of orbiting the sun, his world orbited her. She was the center of his universe."

Orbiting? Universe? I filed these terms away to ask about them later.

"The third wife was what we call his Imprint." Sam explained, eyes darting to take a quick look at Emily as she washed the dishes from dinner and watched us. "Some wolves never meet their imprints, but when they do, their focus is completely on that person. They will be whatever their imprint needs. Protector, friend, babysitter, companion, lover. We consider this person a wolf's life mate." Sam gave me a significant look, then his gaze drifted to something behind me, and I became aware of a tugging in my hair. I turned and found Paul playing with the ends of my hair.

"So..." I said, turning back to Sam. "Paul imprinted?"

Sam nodded.

"On me?"

Sam nodded, looking at me like it should be obvious.

"Okay," I said simply. "I can accept that."

Sam looked at me, eyes wide.

"Really?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes," I stated. "I am very used to people telling me who to mate."

There was a growl from behind me and I suddenly found myself in the lap of the wolf behind me. I was pulled against a very warm, hard chest by strong arms. How had I not noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt? He was growling lightly in my ear, but instead of feeling threatened or scared, I felt safe and comforted.

"What?" A low voice demanded, sending shivers down my spine.

It was Paul.

-.:o0O0o:.-

Any thoughts on what should happen next?


	7. Chapter 7

The woman turned to the man whose arms were around her waist.

"Excuse me," She said, having gained a little confidence. "But who are you? I don't believe you've actually told me your name, and usually names come before pulling people into laps." She knew his name, but she was a bit miffed that no one had seen fit to actually introduce themselves.

"Paul," He rumbled, sticking his nose in her neck.

"Well, Paul, my name is Selena." She stated, and then she fidgeted, trying to pull away and get back to her own seat on the couch, only to be pulled back against Paul's chest and to have her seat taken by Seth.

"What was that about being forced to mate?" Demanded Paul lowly.

"I am the white wolf," said Selena, as if that should explain everything to these wolves.

It didn't.

"What does it matter that you are a white wolf?" Asked Sam.

"No, I am _the_ white wolf," stated Selena, as if he had just made a silly mistake.

"Selena," started Seth. "Our pack is very different from yours, and we don't understand the significance of the white wolf." Selena sighed.

"There are legends in my pack about a white spirit wolf. Only one is born every couple of generations, and the manuscripts basically state that she shall lead the pack out of times of trouble and into prosperity and peace. The white wolf will then mate with the alpha of her pack." The other wolves looked tense, and Selena could see the darting glances that were being directed at Paul, who was quivering slightly behind her.

"Basically state?" Clarified Seth.

"Yes," Selena stated. "The texts are in an ancient and nearly forgotten language, so the exact meaning of the words are a little blurred by translation. It refers to the white wolf very clearly, and it mentions leading packs out of trouble. It could be _her_ pack, it could be _a_ pack, or it could refer to _all _of the packs, but it is generally taken to mean the pack she was born into. And she is to mate with the 'Alpha of her heart', though that part is kind of mixed in translation. The pack took it to mean that she is to mate with the alpha of the pack, and the pack would be her heart."

Selena shuddered, her vision suddenly flashing with grabbing hands, rancid, alcohol filled breath, and a heavy body on top of hers. Paul clutched her closer and growled at Seth, identifying him as the cause of her distress since he had asked the question.

"Okay," Seth said hurriedly, holding up his hands slightly in surrender. "Next question: do you know how you got here?"

Selena's brows knit together as she tried to remember.

-.:o0O0o:.-

Any ideas of what happened to her? She started out in the spirit circle from chapter one and somehow ended up in the woods in chapter two.


	8. Chapter 8

From chapter 1:

"S_o mote it be."_

I barked out the ancient words to end the ritual, swaying in my wolf form with an unexpected weariness. And then everything went black.

Chapter 8

"I had just finished up the spirit circle," Said Selena, scrunching up her eyes in concentration as if the action would block out any distractions. She started to relax, bit by bit, almost going into a trance as she recalled what had happened and how she had ended up there.

"I was still in my wolf form, and as I was closing the circle, I was dreading having to go back to my tent. I spoke the closing words, 'so mote it be,' and suddenly I was hit with this wave of weariness, like a blanket had just been pulled over my consciousness, all warm and heavy, dulling everything around it. Then someone had wrapped my consciousness up in that blanket and yanked it away.

The next thing I _really_ remember was waking up here, but there was something in between... A dream? All I'm getting are little snippets, scenes, and they seem really disjointed..." By this point, Selena was in a hypnotized state, trying to recall her dream and then relaying it verbally to the others as they listen closely.

"I'm dreaming.

Dreaming.

Falling.

Falling?

Then flying through the air.

Wings?

How am I flying?

No, no wings, just air beneath me and above me.

I'm drifting downwards, like a feather.

Landing.

On a grassy slope overlooking a lake.

Facing up.

Facing the moon.

Mother Moon.

She's full, staring down at me.

Then she's in front of me, still looking at me as I'm lying on the ground.

She's beautiful.

Radiant.

Mother Mood.

My Goddess.

She's saying something, but I can't hear the words.

Are there words?

Her lips are moving, but I hear no sound.

I receive no words.

Only understanding.

But what am I understanding?

I don't remember.

Was it my wolf?

Did she gain the understanding?

I don't remember.

I don't remember.

And then I woke up," said Selena, blinking and looking at the wolves around her.

-.:o0O0o:.-

Thoughts? What do you think of how I did the dreaming segment? Any suggestions?


End file.
